Oh Deer

I know it’s a bit excessive, but I won’t have a free day again until the end of next week, so I thought I’d better get in another post while I had a chance. Plus, I had a deer photo to go with the title! We saw the deer whilst on a walk out on the dykes in Maple Ridge with the Northern Crew. In addition to the deer, there were a million caterpillars everywhere. Very uncooperative caterpillars who refused to pose on dogs’ noses.

Also, Tweed nearly drowned. Or at least, he fell into the river and then couldn’t get back up onto the steep bank. So I inched my way down to help him out, and Jen was all “Oh I’ll hold your camera” and took photos of me with it. If I weren’t going to eat turkey at her house tomorrow, I’d say something mean about her!

After slipping down the precarious slope, I reached down to help Tweed out

and he hopped out on his own. And then soaked me with river run-off from his coat.

What? I was just cooling off in the water.

Fortunately it was a beautiful sunny day

and I dried off pretty quick.

The dogs enjoyed some swimming

Even Dexter!

He will now swim on command!

Unlike the TWoo.

I asked him if he wanted to try swimming, and he ran away!

Later on, after we got home, he also ran away after I threatened to beat him senseless for chewing a hole through my screen door.

But I guess I have only myself to blame … if I didn’t want to drive him insane, I shouldn’t have brought home chickens!

My friend Cheryl is downsizing her chicken flock so she gave me four of them for my coop, which has been sitting empty ever since I built it. She is deeply sorry that she did not have a video camera, as apparently me trying to catch four chickens was the funniest thing she’d seen all week. Once I managed to snag four and get them in the crate, she walked my back to my van, waited until I’d shut the door and admitted that I now owned 4 chickens, and then proceeded to tell me all the many ways in which chickens were horrible creatures who smell, are dirty and a pain in the ass. Then she screamed “No take backs! Now get the hell off my property!”

If ever you have the chance to put 4 chickens in a crate and drive around with them for a few hours before going home, I highly recommend you pass on the opportunity. The smell – ZOMG, the smell! What stinky birds! And if ever you get the chance to drive around with 4 chickens in a crate in your car, right next to another crate that contains the TWoo, I also recommend you pass on the opportunity. The noise!! ZOMG, the noise! BARKBARKBARKBARKBARK the whole drive home.

Farmer Food Lady – I’m on my way!

I can’t wait for eggs!

TWooie is now yelling at me claiming he needs to go out and pee, when in fact we both know that he wants to go out and harass the chickens. But better him than the coyotes I suppose … something came right up onto my porch and shredded the bag of garbage I’d forgotten to take up to the can on the road!

Coyotes? I’m on it!

The next time we go to visit Cheryl I will a) bring no extra crates and take home no more chickens! and b) try Dexter on the woolies again. And I’ll bring a video camera!

Have a great week everyone!

ETA – as I was not on the ball last night when I posted this (one eye on the computer, one on TWooie trying to eat his way out of my house to GET AT THE CHICKENS THE CHICKENS OMG HE MUST HAVE THE CHICKENS) I forgot to say that if you are interested in following West’s progress with Courtenay you can read about him on her blog.

Beautiful work – that shot looking out over the water with the sun gleaming off is frame-worthy. And Dexter! Tremendous personality, that one. Thanks for the gorgeous pics to start off my Monday – have a great week!
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Jack @ PDBpet beds and more

Oh, but if you would like a rooster, I’ve got one that needs a good home! Hope Twoo leaves the hens alone. Just a note, the chicken wire won’t keep a determined animal out. We had a raccoon get through that many years ago.

“Your dogs are very nice but seem chubby for agility dogs, with the exception of Dexter that is. Is their fur deceiving me?”

You seem very nice, but pretty trolly for a wootube follower. Or is your rude comment deceiving me?

There aren’t even any full body shots of any of my dogs for the last like 10 posts, so I have no idea where you get the idea any of them are “chubby.” But to address your comment seriously, even while I really think you’re probably just trolly, the answer is – no. None of my dogs are “chubby” actually. They are all very nice weights, even Woo – of course, Woo does not do agility. Neither does TWoo, who could maybe lose a lb or two, but is actually a pretty good weight, considering I have taken more than 15 lbs off him in the 6 months or so that he’s been with me, since he arrived obese (and ALSO does not do agility). Tweed is not at all chubby and under his Aussie coat is a barrel chested Aussie body. Piper keeps an extra couple of lbs on because otherwise she passes out with exercise, but even so, she sure as fuck doesn’t look “chubby.” If you want to see “chubby” dogs, go to your local suburban dog park and you’ll find them in spades. My dogs are pretty lean athletes! I have no idea where you’re getting this from.

I wish my Cookie looked like your dogs! So since we’re speaking of weight, Sheena could you share with us what you do feed your pups? I think I read that you feed them a raw diet. My Cookie is overweight and we need to get the weight down. We’ve been feeding her Wellness Senior formula dry food with a heaping tablespoon of the Wellness Senior canned mixed in. (one cup in the morning, one at night) for about four years. (She’s going to be 10 in January). She gets the Wellness dry treats and once a week a couple of pizza crusts lol, and she loves baby carrots.
Thanks!

I will respond further to Mandy, having met all of the Food Lady’s dogs in person. TWooie and Woo have the most trouble keeping weight off but they are at a good weight. They are probably Sheltie/mini Aussie mixes — two very heavily coated breeds, and they do have very heavy coats. They also both have a barrel-chested build. I have a mini Aussie with that chest and coat, and he just never looks sleek, even when underweight. Piper’s weight is fine and so is Tweed’s — he is older and also has that huge Aussie coat. So yes, basically, Mandy is being misled by the coats and, in the case of the WooTwo, build.

Jackie, if I want my dogs to lose weight, I just feed them less of whatever extremely high quality food they are already getting (I rotate foods a lot, except with the one who has bad allergies). I also feed them in work-to-eat puzzle toys like a Tricky Treat Ball or Kong Wobbler, and this lets them eat for 10-20 minutes per meal instead of 45 seconds. Unless your Cookie is truly geriatric or has health problems requiring low fat or protein, I would consider switching back to a high quality normal fat/protein formula (lower carbs) and using a food dispensing toy.